LUKE
3:31-33
GENEALOGY
OF JESUS:
WHAT’S
IN A NAME? – PART 2
Susie: We now
continue with Luke’s genealogy of Jesus through His mother, Mary. Why? Because
many people skip the genealogies, and we do not like to skip anything. In this
section, we will find some more familiar names.
Luke
3:31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son
of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
Susan: Melea
means “fullness.” Menan or Menna means “consoling or comforting.” Mattatha
means “a gift,” and he was the grandson of King David. Nathan means “He hath
given,” and he was the third son of David.
Susie: Nathan
is listed as having been born to David in Jerusalem, in other words, after he
began to reign as king (2 Sam. 5:14; 1 Chron. 3:5; 14:4). Nathan (in Mary’s
lineage) was born before Solomon who is listed in Joseph’s lineage found in
Matthew chapter one.
Susan: David
means “beloved,” a man whom the Lord called “a man after my own heart” (1
Samuel 13:14).
Susie: He is
the man God chose to replace Israel’s first king, Saul, after Saul had sinned
against God. He is known as a shepherd, a giant slayer, a warrior, a beloved
friend of Jonathan (Saul’s son), and a mighty king.
Susan: The
Messiah would be a descendant of David and heir to his throne:
2
Samuel 7:12-13 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy
fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy
bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name,
and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom forever.
Susie: King
David was aging and expressed a desire to build a temple for God. However,
through Nathan the prophet, God let him know that he was not the one to build
the temple. His son, Solomon, would have that privilege. God promised that
David’s kingly line would pass on to his descendants.
Susan: As we
have seen, Jesus’s earthly lineage shows he was descended from David through
Solomon on Joseph’s side and Nathan on Mary’s side of the family. No human
except the God-man, the Messiah, could live forever. The throne would pass to
the Messiah, Jesus, whose kingdom would never end.
Luke
3:32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son
of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,
Susan: Jesse
means “wealthy-Jehovah exists.” He was indeed wealthy because Jehovah had
blessed him. He had eight sons all together of which David was the youngest.
David was in charge of his father’s sheep. Jesse was the son of Obed which
means “worshiper or a servant who worships.”
Susie: Obed’s
mother was Ruth the Moabite who followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to
Israel after the death of their husbands. She converted to Judaism and married
Boaz.
Susan: Booz
or Boaz, meaning “swift,” was the kinsman-redeemer or close male relative of
Naomi’s husband and son. He entered into a levirate marriage with Ruth in order
to produce offspring for his deceased relative’s family and redeem their land for
the widows.
Ruth
2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the
family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
Susie: Boaz’s
parents were Rahab and Salmon whose name means “peaceable.” You may remember
that Rahab was the Canaanite woman in Jericho who hid the Jewish spies sent out
by Joshua.
Hebrews
11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when
she had received the spies with peace.
Susan: Salmon’s
father was Naasson meaning “enchanter or serpent of the sun.” Yuck, that name
makes me want to take a shower.
Luke
3:33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the
son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares (Perez), which was the son of Juda,
Susan: Aminadab
means “the kinsman is generous,” an interesting name; but scripture does not
tell us why he was named thus. Aram, sometimes Arni or Ram, means “high or
elevated.” Esrom means “dart of joy, division of a song.” Phares or Perez means
“breach or rupture.”
Susie: Phares
(Perez) was the son of Judah by his Canaanite daughter-in-law, Tamar, who
tricked him into thinking she was a prostitute in order to bear a child. Phares
was the younger twin because his brother stuck his arm out of the womb first,
but Phares traded places with him and was born first (Genesis 38:29). Much later, in the book of Ruth, when the
people find out that Boaz is serving as kinsman-redeemer to marry Ruth and
produce offspring for her late husband (levirate marriage), they bless him in
the following way:
Ruth
4:12 (KJV) And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto
Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
Susan: Juda
or Judah means “praised or the Praised one. Prophesy said that the Messiah would
be from the tribe of Judah.
Genesis
49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his
feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
Susie: The scepter was a symbol of power and authority
for either a tribal leader like Judah or the kings which would descend from
him, including the Messiah.
Susan: Shiloh is a coded reference to the Messiah and
may derive from a word meaning “peace-maker.” Jesus was the Prince of Peace,
the very source of our peace.
Ponder
this: Mary and Joseph were both descendants of David and thus
Abraham. There were many people of great faith in their lineage. Will your
descendants look back and say that their grandmother or grandfather was a godly
person, a person after God’s own heart? Ask yourself if you are leaving a
heritage of faith for the ones who follow you, whether your physical
descendants or your spiritual descendants.
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